Trailing 3 – 0 entering third, Jared Coccimiglio and Abzal Alibek scored to bring the Rebels within one but it wasn’t enough as they fell to the Tomahawks 3 – 2 to split the weekend series between the teams. It was the Rebels first loss against Johnstown in four games this season.
After a scoreless first period in which the Rebels outshot the Tomahawks 12 – 6, the second period was a complete reversal with Johnstown taking an astounding 31 shots, including three goals, to the Rebels four. All of Johnstown’s three tallies came within the first 7:33 of the middle stanza.
Lukas Klemm scored just 1:22 into the second to put the visitors on the boards. Johnstown’s Hank Reed picked up the loose puck at center ice and brought it into the offensive zone. After gaining the line, Reed cut towards the Rebels net and backhanded a shot that was stopped by Rebels netminder Owen Crudale but the rebound came right out to Klemm in the slot and Kleem shot it into the back of the net to make it a 1 – 0 game.
Less than a minute later, Johnstown doubled their lead on Cullen Emery’s ninth goal of the season. After Crudale made a save, the rebound went to the Tomahawks’ Caden Olenczak who was in the near side corner and to the right of Crudale. Olenczak sent the biscuit back to Dallas Potter at the point. Potter took a snapshot that was saved by Crudale but the rebound came out to Emery on the doorstep, and Emery poked the puck past Crudale for the quick two-goal lead.
Sam Blanton gave Johnstown a 3 – 0 at 7:33 of the second. Olenczak kept the puck in the offensive zone at the top of the near side point and made a cross-ice pass to Dylan Shane. Shane took a clapper that was blocked out front but the rebound came out to Olenczak in the slot, and Olenczak made a backdoor pass down low to Blanton (who was to the left of Crudale) who jammed the puck into the open net for his eleventh goal of the season,
Coccimiglio put the Rebels on the board at 2:48 of the third. After picking up the loose puck at the half wall in his own zone, Coccimiglio sent the biscuit up to Billy Sheridan at center ice. Sheridan turned and started to skate towards the Johnstown end. As Sheridan gained the line, he passed the puck to Coccimiglio on his right and Coccimiglio took a clapper that beat Johnstown netminder Nick Avakyan high, short side for Coccimiglio’s fourth goal of the season and first since October 19.
Alibek cut the Rebels deficit to one with 9:22 remaining in the third. As Philadelphia’s man advantage was about to expire, Ruslan Jamaldinov brought the puck up through center ice and into the offensive zone. As Jamaldinov gained the line, he passed the biscuit to Caesar Björk on his right. Björk stopped and reversed at the top of the far side faceoff circle and passed the puck to Alibek in the slot. Alibek took a hard wrist zone that beat Avakyan low, glove side for Alibek’s third goal of the season.
Despite only taking nine shots in the third, the Rebels pressured but were unable to even the score.
Crudale stopped 49 of 52 shots while Avakyan turned aside 23 of 25. Click HERE fore the complete box score. The Rebels now will travel to Lewiston, ME again to face the Nordiques next weekend for their third and final meeting of the season between the teams.